Counting device.



C F. THOMPSON.

COUNTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FlLED'JULY 13, 19:5. RENEWED APR. 13.15am

1,236,787. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

- E". THOMPEQN, GE VJASHIITGTON, DISTRICT GE COLUMBIA.

Application filled July 18, 1915, Serial Renewed April 18, 1917.

to which it appertains to make and use the same.

iii?

' invention further providing for stopplm "E2 devlce wherei the indicator disks or rings which have their peripheries marked with a series of numbers, usually ranging fro zero to 9, may be instantly reset when desired to return such rings or disks to zero, that is to say to move the rings so that the zero character of each ring will appear exposed at the slot of the casing of the counter.

In devices of this character with which I am acquainted the usual practice is to attach a milled thumb wheel to the counter or resetting shaft so that the indicator rings or disks may all be returned to zero by twisting or turning the thumb wheel with the 5mers. This method is inconvenient and slow, In addition to being unreliable, for in resetting the disks to zero it frequently happens that the shaft is turned too far so that the zero characters are moved past the sight slot, instead of being stopped thereat, so that it is necessary to repeat the operation of resetting in order to bring all of the zero characters to their proper positions. Thus where great accuracy and precision of operation 1s necessary and speed of resetting desirable, this method of o crating and resetting to zero by means 0 a thumb wheel, is unsatisfactory. It is my purpose, therefore, in the present instance to o viate these objections by providing means for operat ing the resetting shaft to quickly return the counting disks or rings to zero position, the

the further rotation of the resetting s 9.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. in, rear.

Serial No. 161,900.

when the zero position is reached, that is when all of the zero characters of the disks are exposed at the sight slot.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the resetting, above mentioned, may be accomplished almost instantly by one stroke or movement, thereby greatly lessening the time necessary to reset the counter.

is also my purpose to rovide resetting mechanism. which will em ody the desired features of simplicity, efiiciency, reliability and convenience, and which may be attached to the well known and standard types of counting devices without in any way chang or modifying the construction of latter. I also propose to provide a counting vice which may be readily attached to roin the machine when desired,

removed L and which will accurately count the words, thereby rendering such device particularly useful in telegraph offices, cable offices, and the like, where messages are taken on typewriters direct from the wire and charged for at a specific rate per word.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in View, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and fallin within the scope of the appended claims.

n the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front view of a counting mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation showing my resetting device, the latter being shown in the position it occupies when inoperative.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position the resetting device occupies when it has been operated to return the indicator disks or rings to zero.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through .a portion of the resetting shaft of the device on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the accompanying draw-' ings in detail, the letter A indicates :1 cyclometer or counting machine, the indicator rings or disks being designated by the numoral 1, the periphery of each disk being provided with a series of numbers running from 0 to 9. As this general type of counter is well known, it is unnecessary to describe the some in detail here, as it is merely conventionally illustrated. It is, of course, to be understood that one indicator ring or disk transmits by a decimal reduction its motion to an adjacent ring or disk of the next higher denomination in theusual way of carrying from a lower denomination to a higher denomination in counting machines.

When a specific counting operation has been completed and it is desired to set all of the disks back to zero, that is to say with the zerocharacter of each disk. appearing at the sight slot, the usual practice is to turn a resetting shaft which is herein designated by the numeral 2, this shaft being usually provided with a thumb wheel for this purpose.

In the resent instance, in carrying out my invention, I provide an attaching plate A which is secured to one end of the easing and through an opening in which projects the adjacent end of the resetting shaft 2, the latter being provided with a plnion 3 which is keyed or otherwise fastened on the projecting end of the resetting shaft so as to turn therewith, as shown. Arranged in parallelism with the shaft 2, but spaced a art therefrom, and preferably formed rigid with the plate A, is a stop pin 4. The numeral 5 indicates a pivot post, and on this post is preferably pivotally mounted a segmental plate or actuatin member 6 one edge of which is formed with a curved open slot 7, the end walls of this slot constituting stop spurs or abutments 8 and.9 respectively. This plate 6 is also formed with a segmental rack 10, the teeth of which extend beyond the ends of the slot 7, this rack being arranged concentric with the bottom wall of the slot. The segmental plate 6 is further formed with a shank 11 flattened as at 12 to form a thumb or finger piece by means of which the plate may be moved or swung on its pivot. When the segmental plate is in position relative to the counter, the slot 7 is adapted to receive and work over the stop pin 4, while the toothed rack engages with the pinion on the end of the resetting shaft 2. A coil tension spring 13 is provided Which is coiled about the pivot post of the segmental late, one end of the spring being fastened to the plate and the other end of the spring being attached to the casing of the counter so that the normal tendency of the sprin is to throw the plate 6 to such position t at the spur 8 will contact or abut against the stop pin 4. This is the position that the plate 6 occupies when in its normal inoperative position, and when so positioned the counter may be operated step by. step to count in the usual manner by rocking the usual drive shaft shown at 13, through the medium of the arm 14 which is fast with the end of this drive shaft. When this device is used on a typewriter the arm 14 is adapted to be struck every time the space bar of the machine is operated, so that the arm in an its associated parts mounte its movement under the impulse of the blow will cause the consecutive operation of the counting disks and thus each word written on the machine will be automatically counted. The entire device is adapted to be fastened on the machine in a convenient position, to be operated by the space bar, and for this purpose I provide any well known form of clamp, such as is shown at 16. When the operator has finished writing and the words have been counted by the counter, and it is desired to restore the latter to position for a second counting operation, that is to say to reset all of the counting disks so that the zero marks will expose in a line at the si ht slot 17, the operator merely grasps or stri es the finger iece 12 and depresses the actuating mem er or plate 6,swin ing the lat ter on its pivot so that the rac c bar riding over the pinion 3 in engagement with the latter, will turn the resetting shaft 2. Now

this swinging movement of the plate 6 will cause the spur 9 at the end of the slot 7 to approach the stop pin 4, and when all of the indicator disks or rings reach a position so that the zero characters appear in line at the sight slot 17, the spur or abutment 9 will be in contact with the stop in 4 and consequently further movement 0 the late nection with the accompanying drawings,

the construction and operation of my invention will be readily apparent. It will be noted that not only have I provided an exceedin 'ly simple device through the medium of WhlCh the resetting of the disks to zero may be instantly accom lished with one stroke or movement of t e skeleton plate, but the overriding or overrunning of the disks, that is to say the movement of the zero characters past the sight slot is avoided,

and conseqllllently the necessity of completel e entire set of disks is obviate resetting t In the present instance I have shown m invention as employed in connection wit one type of counting device but it is to be understood that it is applicable to any other form of indicator or counter, and furthermore, the device may be fastened in any convenient manner to the writing machine or other machine upon which it is desired to employ the same. It will also be understood that if desired, the attaching plate may be dis ensed with and the actuatin member directly on the casing or other portion of the counter or other machine to which it may be applied. While I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention,

I wish it to be understood that I do not confine'myself to all the precise details of conatively connected with the shaft, a stop pin,

a member mounted for oscillatory movement and provided with a rack meshing with the pinion, said member being recessed to form oppositely disposed abutments adapted to bear against the stop pin for limiting the oscillatory movement of the member in either direction, and an operating handle for said member.

2. The combination with a counting ma- I chine including a resetting shaft, of a pinion operatively connected with the resetting shaft, a segment pivotally mounted for oscillatory movement and provided with a rack meshing with the pinion, said segment being recessed to form oppositely disposed abut ments, and a stop pin adapted to engage the abutments for limiting the oscillatory movement of the segment in either direction, said segment being provided with a finger piece, the-axis of the pinion and the stop pin being disposed substantially in alinement with each other.

3. A resettin "attachment for counting machines inclu ing a plate for supporting the elements of the attachment, an actuatin member mounted for movement on sai plate, a pinion for attachment to the resetting shaft of the countin machine and engaging the actuating mem er, and means for limiting the movement of the actuating member in either direction.

4. A resetting attachment for counting machines including a plate for supporting the elements of the attachment, an actuatin member mounted for movement on sai plate, a inion for attachment to the reset ting sha t of the counting machine, a fixed stop on the plate, and spaced abutments upon the actuating member for cooperation with the stop to limit the movement of the actuating member in either direction, the plate being provided with an opening to receive the resetting shaft of the counting machine and the actuatingmember havmg a rack to mesh with the pinion of said resetting shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

RICHARD B, CAVANAGH, S. R. BRATTAN. 

